Conference highlights those with dementia, caregiving and research

In about 3 weeks, more than 1,000 people will gather in St. Paul for the 2013 Meeting of the Minds Dementia Conference. You're invited.

This premier conference is the result of hard work and dedication, driven by genuine passion on the part of the Minnesota-North Dakota Alzheimer's Association and Mayo Clinic staff and volunteers.

This year's conference will include some impressive experts in the research field including Dr. Eric Reiman of the Banner Alzheimer's Institute in Phoenix, and our own Dr. Ronald Petersen, Dr. Brad Boeve, and Glenn Smith, Ph.D, from the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

But this conference is not just about the hope of one day curing or preventing Alzheimer's, it's about improving the quality of life in the present. When Pat Summit, the winningest college basketball coach of all time who's now living with younger onset Alzheimer's, takes the stage she's sure to have a message of "living big."

It's my hope that this conference continues to shift our perceptions about dementia — affirming the personhood and dignity of those living with dementia and reducing the stigma that often isolates and dismisses.

Practical strategies, useful knowledge, resources and services to reaffirm that there's help will be shared with caregivers.

CaringSource is one example of that help — a new individualized service developed in collaboration with Mayo Clinic and national experts in dementia. CaringSource is about positively influencing the health, well-being and quality of life for caregivers. If you're at the conference, I invite you to stop by the Mayo Clinic booth to learn more.

For me, however, the real megastars will be those living with the disease who courageously attend and unknowingly teach us all something. By learning how to engage fully in the presence of a person living with dementia you'll see their capacity for wisdom, insight and compassion.

By attending sessions where persons living with dementia are presenting or involved, you'll learn that dementia doesn't define them, it simply shapes the way they experience the world around them.

A day to learn. An experience to feel.

See you on March 2. Early bird registration ends February 7.

To register for the conference, go to the Minnesota-North Dakota Chapter page of the Alzheimer's Association website.

Thanks for your note. We know you will update us with the messages!
And, maybe in the future, we'll also have a meeting in the southeast, and we'll do it in the winter for you! Lots of forward thinking and work go into these meetings plus the funding. You have all of our support for success and long term meaning. (Didn't say long term disease...ha,ha, ho,ho,ho!) Love and Meaning we need in our lives.
Couldn't get over on Wednesday, February 13th, I was listening to a radio show on Jacksonville's 1600AM called Kelly's Kafe from 12-1PM when one of the regular group, Dean is his name, thanked Kelly for all she had done for his friend Daryl, and himself after both of them had carpal tunnel surgery. First time I have ever heard in the media on a weekly a radio show, a sincere person thanking an individual for
for what we are calling 'caregiving'. Kelly was praised by Dean of her gourmet cooking, especially. However, there was so much more gratitude and thankfulness expressed by the tone of his voice.
What compassion Kelly has that resulted in her going out of her way for her radio colleagues and friends! What a thrill for all of us to hear, it made history! Dean validated Kelly's giving of herself.
We always feel so great when one thanks us with so much enthusiasm!

Kristina

February 14, 2013 10:52 a.m.

Kristina,
The conference planning committee has looked into ways to record and make available tapes of the conference. There are a lot of factors that play into that decision - good quality taping, editing and distribution are a priority for me. And although I see this happening in the near future, it is not likely this year. I will however do my best to bring key messages and content back to you through my blog. Thanks for your never-ending support Kristina.

Angela

February 12, 2013 6:37 p.m.

Is there anyway the conference could be taped so we all could get the needed information? Imagine each presentation has the slides available and lecture ready to go. Bet all of the people would also sign a release if they are included in pictures so that others could also learn, get support and be validated for all their unending attempt to make life better for both the loved one and themselves.
Mayo would have an expense to do this and I'm sure we would pay for the conference information. Much cheaper then us traveling there though there would be nothing like the experience and support of being with you However, Angela, I'm sure you will be sharing with us
all of the concepts from the meeting anyway in the future. Sorry we are not all able to be there with you!

Kristina

February 9, 2013 3:45 p.m.

To: Martha
My husband also has FT lobe dementia. I really cant find much to read about it. This is very different from Alz. dementia and I am finding myself so stressed out all the time because I dont really know how to deal with it.His neurologist has helped some, but I wish I could visit with someone else dealing with this same kind of dementia.Im finding it harder each day to communicate with him as he can only speak a few words of a sentence. And he has lost all motor skills, but his behavior isnt too bad yet, other than his frustration of not being able to communicate and not being able to do simple tasks like buttoning shirt etc. He has always been so talented, and could do anykind of carpentry, and was a beautiful artist, and now cannot even use a hammer. And the most awful part is that his memory is still perfect, and knows all things he use to do, but now cant. My greatest prayer is that God will give me patience, such as not letting me clean up his many spills etc.So Martha would love to hearfrom you or anyone else dealingwith this kind of dementia.

Gwin

February 8, 2013 11:25 a.m.

Berrie, God Bless You and Your work

JoeK

February 7, 2013 9:25 p.m.

I am registered for the conference and have attended in the past. It's a wonderful event! My husband has early onset frontaltemporal lobe dementia, a very difficult kind to manage. The conference this year has 2 workshops specifically addressing this type of dementia. I really encourage people to go.

Martha

February 7, 2013 7:24 p.m.

My dad, Wendell is in the early stages of dementia. He can still drive to church, the hospital, and McDonalds etc. He is 82 and has an appetite out of this world. My mom cooks approximately three times per week which lasts. He eats like a horse but has the classic symptoms coming every waking hour of the day...asking the same questions over and over, worrying about the simple things that are minor, doing simple tasks over and over. This works on my mom's mental health.She does manage to get away from the atmosphere throughout the day but is always there during the night time hours. He is not violent or mean to her. He just gets the confused look on his face so many times when you carry on a conversation with him. She says she could cry her eyes out when he looks at her with this blank look. I'll cut this story off for now. Just wanted to share this bit of information with someone.

Joey

February 7, 2013 2:44 p.m.

My elderly mother suffers from advanced Alzheimer's and I always appreciate Angela's blog--always insightful and encouraging. I just read the post by Berrie. What a horrendous and heartbreaking situation she describes in Namibia. I'm sure the same is true in many other countries. Thank you, Berrie, for your dedicated work and to those who work with you. What you are doing is inspiring.

Laura

February 7, 2013 8:40 a.m.

Hi Angela, I love to read your blog. I am from Namibia on the west coast of Souther Africa. Dementia is as unknown as Tsunami was before xmas 2004 in the world. Alzheimer's is only an object of yokes. I myself is the founder of DEMENTIA NAMIBIA, as recent as 12/01/12. My biggest fight in my beloved country is ignorance. In Oct 2012 I met a women from the Ovahimba tribe, chained between her legs and chained to the pole in her hut for the last 20 years because of dementia symptoms being explain to them as bewitching. I trained 2 care workers from the Kunene Region and on 12/12/12 we unchained her and are now caring for her. They even did'nt make contact [ touch her, visit her, feed her] with her in the 20 years because every one was afraid of the so called demons and bewitching. We are now in the proses to build a Himba village where they can live with dementia. If you send me an e-mail adres I can send you photos because I don't think that you will believe me and what I am experience in my beloved country. We opened the first dementia care home on a farm where they can be free and live a full live with dementia. I am using the media to try and break the ignorance among all the people of Namibia. Wish I can attend your conference because I am doing online self study about diseases like Alzheimers causing dementia symptoms and signs. My mail adress is berrie.holtzhausen@gmail.com. You can also visit our website:michellegrouptrust.wozaonline.co.za. Regards Berrie

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